The training sessions, which include 9 AA journalists, and 15 foreign journalists from nine different countries—Djibouti, Tunisia, Senegal, Niger, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, the Republic of Guinea, and Chad—provide information on how journalists working in disasters such as war, fire, flood, and earthquake should act under difficult conditions, both theoretically and through practical applications.

On the 10th day of war journalism training, AFAD units held a class on “natural disasters as news topics” for trainees at the AFAD Provincial Headquarters Campus.

Here, trainees were told about situations that could occur during and after an earthquake and were given information about possible precautions. Trainees also experienced the “drop, cover, hold on” and “fetal” positions in an earthquake simulation.

Participants then went to the Aviation Department at the Police Academy Gölbaşı Campus, where they boarded a helicopter and were taken to the nearby field. AFAD teams accompanied the trainees.

They witnessed the effects of different types of explosives

On the 11th day of the training, trainees took a course on “explosives and dangerous areas” at the Criminal Affairs Department located at the Police Academy Gölbaşı Campus.

Participants had the opportunity to experience the effects of different types of explosives in the field and saw firsthand the impact of bombs on mannequins.

Trainees were also informed about how to ensure their personal safety in war and conflict zones.

“This training was very special for me”

Among the participants was Mohamed M'dalla, a cameraman at AA's Tunis office, who said, "This training was very beneficial for me. I overcame my fears. I had a fear of heights, and I overcame it in the last two days. I have been a journalist for 20 years and have participated in many trainings, but this training was very special for me. It made me experience emotions and intense pain. I truly believe it will be beneficial for me."

İbrahim Kördemirci, a cameraman at AA's Ankara General Directorate, said they received training on many topics they were previously unaware of.

Kördemirci said, “They explained what I need to do in a war zone. Today, they explained everything here: the types of bombs, their effects, what we need to do, what booby-trapped bombs can do, how we should approach them, how we should protect ourselves. The training went very well.”